Entry / Exit System launch to be examined by Lords committee

The House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee will tomorrow be questioning three witnesses about the launch of the EU's Entry / Exit System (EES) on 12 October 2025.  

This session is a further follow-up to the committee's work on electronic border management systems in 2024. The committee is also questioning witnesses about the impact of the UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). 

A range of topics will be covered during the session, including initial impressions of the EES launch, the legal basis for the phased approach to EES, the UK's preparedness for the launch and the impact at the juxtaposed borders. The committee will also ask about variations in introduction between EU countries, the UK Government's communication plan, and issues relating to dual nationals. 

The session will take place on Tuesday 14 October at 10:30am and can be followed live on parliament.tv 

Giving evidence will be: 

• Simon Calder, travel journalist and broadcaster 

• Dr Niovi Vavoula, Senior Lecturer in Migration and Security; 

• Simon Lejeune, Chief Safety and Stations and Security Officer at Eurostar. 

Questions the committee is likely to ask include: 

• Is the UK now better prepared because of the postponement for the launch of EES or has the postponement from 2024 caused additional cost and confusion? 

• How has the introduction of the EES varied by country? 

• Has the UK Government done enough to communicate the changes for British travellers? 

• What are the challenges for the Common Travel Area and for tourism in Northern Ireland as a result of the ETA? 

• Have there been any developments in data sharing between the EU and the UK on border management? 

• What lessons can be learned by the UK and EU from the introduction of EES and ETA over the last few years?